Sicilian Dreams (2 page)

Sitting up and swearing like a drunken sailor, she brushed her hands on the knees of her jeans and yelped as the chips of gravel came out of her skin and the grazes began to bleed. Shit, shit and double shit, she thought, pushing her helmet up where it had slid down over her nose. As she did so, she gazed straight into the dark blue eyes of the girl in the purple, frothy outfit. Katrina Hudson, that dopey girl from her class.

‘Oh my God, are you alright?’ asked Katrina, leaning down and grabbing Cassie’s arm to help her stand up. ‘Oh, look at your bike, the front wheel is all wonky,’ she added.

‘Thanks to you, it’s buckled,’ said Cassie angrily. ‘What the hell were you thinking, stepping out onto the road like that? It’s not a crossing.’

‘Oh, isn’t it?’ said Kat, looking down at the road, completely unruffled by Cassie’s tone ‘You’re right, it isn’t a pedestrian crossing, how silly of me. But, oh heck, there go my notes.’ She gave a small cry of alarm as the manila file of papers she had been carrying when she and Cassie collided, had fallen to the ground and were now blowing up and down the street. Passers by closest to them were grabbing at the sheets of paper blowing their way and Cassie dashed off to grab some which were threatening to leave the town all together in the blustery May south westerly. As she grabbed one, she saw a name typed in the top, left hand corner. It read ‘Elizabeth Moonflower Hayes.’ What a strange second name, thought Cassie.

‘Oh, thanks very much,’ said Kat, absently stuffing the returned papers into her backpack. ‘I am really sorry,’ she said as Cassie came back to her with the last couple of pages. ‘I was on my way to drop off some notes to a friend. But look at your hands. They’re all scratched and grazed. Why don’t you come with me to Liz’s and we’ll get you fixed up. Come on,’ she added as she looked at Cassie’s mutinous expression. ‘It’s not far, but at least we will get away from all these people.’

Cassie muttered something inaudible and reluctantly followed Kat down the street, dragging along her damaged bike with its ’wonky’ front wheel. She’s a bit wonky, thought Cassie. What in God’s name is she wearing? Black tights tucked into Doc Martins with a short, dark purple ballerina skirt and over that, a fitted black leather jacket with sharp metal studs decorating the sleeves and shoulders with a purple beret slung jauntily over the side of her head, covering one ear, her long black curly hair hanging like an unruly poodle over her shoulders.

Cassie was relieved that the walk to Liz’s hostel was indeed short. She dumped her bike outside the front door, not bothering to put a lock on it. It’s not going anywhere she thought and followed Kat up two flights of stairs to Liz’s room. Kat knocked and the door opened to reveal that Liz, the glamorous siren from her class. She looked stunning in a figure hugging, red maxi velvet dress with long fitted sleeves and a low, scooped neck.

‘What happened to you?’ she demanded, standing aside so the girls could pass through the narrow doorway and into the small room.

‘Cassie and I literally banged into each other?’ said Kat, airily, flicking her curls with one hand and gazing out the window. ‘Here’s your notes by the way, thanks for the loan of them,’ she added.

‘She stepped off the curb onto the road right in front of my bike,’ said Cassie.

‘Oh dear, look at your hands. Let me get you a glass of wine, you look like you need one.’ She opened the door of small fridge and pulled out a bottle. She passed them each a full glass and then raised hers in a toast. ‘Here’s to getting roasted tonight.’ she said and took a healthy gulp of her wine. ‘Cassie, you have to come with us, we’re crashing some parties and it will be a blast.’ Cassie had planned on a quiet night in, at her hostel. She had been working hard this first semester and hadn’t really joined in the party scene. She must have looked doubtful because Liz added. ‘Come on, you have to, it’s Capping week and everyone parties.’

‘Yes.’ agreed Kat. ‘You have to come with us, but not dressed like that.’ She pointed to Cassie’s Swan dry with distaste. It’s fine for a cold day in class, but no good for a party. Liz, have you got something Cassie can borrow for this evening.’

‘I can go back to my hostel and change,’ protested Cassie, but Liz and Kat weren’t listening. Liz was already rummaging through her jam packed wardrobe and emerged with a stunning black velvet coat which was cut away in front like a tuxedo.

‘You would look so hot in this with your coloring.’ said Liz, holding it up against Cassie. Cassie looked longingly at the beautiful coat, running her hands down the luxuriously soft fabric. ‘Go on, try it on.’ urged Liz. Shrugging out of her Swan dry, Cassie slid her arms into the coat and did a turn in front of the wardrobe mirror.

‘Gorgeous, it looks perfect, you must wear it,’ declared Kat, clapping her hands together.

‘Absolutely. It looks fantastic over your jeans.’ agreed Liz. Now she turned to Kat.

‘Katrina Hudson how many times have I told you not to wear the ballet skirt over your leggings. You look like a little girl playing dress ups and it hides your gorgeous, long legs. Take it off immediately.’ she said imperatively. Kat looked chagrined, but slid the net skirt off and tossed it on to Liz’s bed.

‘Right, let’s finish our wine and get going,’ said Liz. Several parties later, they ended up at a student bar in town, carousing merrily with the other inebriated patrons.

‘What’s with your second name?’ said Cassie, slurring her words slightly. She wasn’t much of a drinker and the wine had affected her quite quickly.

‘How do you know what my second name is?’ hissed Liz, not slurring her words at all.

‘Um, I saw it on the notes that Kat dropped.’ said Cassie, surprised by the vehemence in Liz’s tone.

‘I hate that name with a passion,’ said Liz. ‘My mother was a bit of a hippy in her day and it was her idea to call me that. Thank God my father said no when she wanted to make it my first name.’ added Liz with relief. ‘Can you imagine going through life with that moniker attached to you.’ Cassie couldn’t, but sensibly didn’t say anything.

‘Don’t you dare ever tell anyone else, okay.’ said Liz.

‘Okay, no problem.’ said Cassie, raising her hands in surrender. ‘Hey, is that Kat up on that table?’ she said, pointing to the front of the room where Kat had indeed climbed onto a bar table and was playing air guitar to Guns & Roses ‘November Rain.’ Someone had stuck a top hat on her head and Liz burst out laughing.

‘God, she looks just like Slash.’

A group of rowdy young guys had been trying, without success, for sometime to get Liz’s attention and she had ignored them totally. Now seeing her laughing out loud, the loudest one of the group approached her and started hitting on her. His loud voice carried back to his friends at their table and they laughed encouragingly as he tried his best lines on Liz.

‘Let’s have breakfast tomorrow, shall I call you, or nudge you.’ That earned him a chorus of laughs from his mates and he turned and did a little bow to them not seeing the scowl on Liz’s face.

‘If I could see you naked, I’d die happy.’

‘If I could see you naked, I’d die laughing,’ retorted Liz. ‘Now piss off Romeo.’ She attempted to shove past him, but he grabbed her arm and his friends cheered.

‘Stuck up bitch,’ he hissed at her. They were blocking the door, so Cassie grabbed Liz’s other arm and tugged and they ran for the open window, calling out to Kat on the way. She abandoned her lofty perch and came after them as the group of louts started chasing them.

‘Jump out the window Kat,’ yelled Cassie and Kat needed no encouragement, sliding her long frame easily out of the window and dropping the couple of feet to the ground with barely a thud. ‘Come on Liz, it’s easy.’ said Cassie, nimbly placing her hand on the sill and vaulting out. She and Kat stood below and bellowed encouragement as Liz gingerly lowered herself from the window, feet first, the soft fabric of her dress billowing up in the wind; and much to the howling delight of another group of passing youths; exposing a glorious, round bottom in see through panties.

‘Cassie and Liz were hugging each other and laughing as Liz mooned the street, tears rolling down their cheeks as Liz slowly reached arm’s length and then had to let go, dropping to the ground with a thud.

‘Well done Moons.’ yelled Kat. ‘I think we’ve finally found a use for your second name.’

‘Don’t you dare,’ yelled back Liz, waving her finger up at them as struggled to stand up and recover some dignity.

‘Hey baby, that was a sight for sore eyes.’ The goons had followed them around the side of the pub and were now standing in a semi circle under the window. ‘Hm, a couple of peaches. Would I like to get my hands on those.’ He made a grabbing motion with his hands.

‘I’ll give you a sight for sore eyes,’ said Cassie, as he went to grab Liz again, his friends egging him on. She pulled back her right arm and using all the power in her small body, swung a right hook onto his nose, felling him in one blow. He lay on the ground moaning, clutching his face in his hands as blood spurted from his nose.

‘Run Cassie, we’ve got to get out of here, now.’ yelled Kat, dragging Liz away from the angry and drunken youths. They sprinted up the street away from the pub and their friendship was born.

Slash, Moons and Cassius, (after Cassius Clay).

They decided to flat together in their second year, cementing a friendship that began at university, had endured over the passing years and was stronger than ever regardless of the distance between them. Liz had left first on her overseas adventure, met Doug in London and followed him back to California where they were married within a year. She was the last person Cassie thought of the three of them who would get married first. The Liz of those days had been a great party girl, up all-night and sleeping for most of the day as a student. Naturally bright, she had sailed through Law school paying scant attention or presence at lectures and tutorials. She hadn't needed a job between lectures as her father, Sir Kevin Hayes; scion of the Wellington brewing family, Hayes & Scanlon; made sure her bank account was topped up regularly and, once she left the Halls of Residence, her accommodation was above the usual cold and droughty, student digs around the University.

In spite her privileged upbringing Liz was no spoilt princess. Her lovely down to earth nature and sexy, growly laugh always ensured she had plenty of admirers and friends surrounding her sunny natured generosity. But marriage straight after University and at the beginning of her overseas adventure had shocked them all. Scraping together enough money for an airfare to California to attend the nuptials had seen Cassie more than a little curious to meet this man who had so stolen away the girl they knew and loved. She left just as curious as she arrived. Doug Baxter was charming, erudite, tall and good looking, from a blue blood background like Liz’s but hardly likely to set the world on fire with his personality. He was pleasant yes, but dynamic, no, not in Cassie's humble opinion. How had the girl with the spark in her eyes ended up falling for Doug in London? Beautiful with big, brown eyes, long, silky, dark hair and an hour glass figure which had men bumping into lamp posts as they watched her sashaying down the street, she had seemed to be making great strides as a junior in an illustrious PR firm in the West End.

In fact, she kept writing and saying that Katrina needed to come over and join her and she would introduce her to her boss. Katrina had her degree in Law but her first love was journalism and she was very envious of Liz's new position in the upmarket PR firm. Ditching her part time waitressing job in Wellington, she begged her parents for a loan to fly to London and join Liz. Of course Liz had a swanky apartment in Chelsea and wanted Kat and Cassie to come and live with her just like the old days.

Unlike Liz, Cassie did not have wealthy parents - in fact, she had no parents. A tragic head on car accident involving them and a drunk driver had robbed Cassie of her parents at the tender age of three. Her aunt Maggie, the much older sister of her father had been the only parent Cassie had known and she had provided the young orphan with love and a home ever since the tragic event. Aunt Maggie was an artist, and one of the talented few that made enough money to live on. She had exhibited her paintings and sculptures to critical acclaim throughout New Zealand and Australia and indeed, in later years as her reputation grew, she had been invited several times to exhibit in London and New York. Now in her early seventies, Maggie was able to slow down and enjoy her garden and her beloved pets, which consisted of an aged English bull terrier, Rosa, and an old one eared tabby cat who ruled the roost.

Although Maggie had many offers from enthusiastic suitors when she was young, and indeed when she was not so young, she had never found true love so marriage and children had eluded her. Possessed of a very kind heart, she poured all her love into young and tragically orphaned Cassie, and they shared a very strong bond. Cassie adored Maggie and wanted to make her proud of her. Her aunt had given her a loving home and refuge from the terrifying reality of losing her parents at such a tender age and Cassie didn't need any more hiccups in her young life.

She was a serious little girl who became a diligent student at school, always in the top five in class, and a gifted sportswoman who had inherited her father’s talent for swimming and her mother’s long, fast legs for sprinting. A framed portrait of medals, still hung in her bedroom at Maggie's house. Maggie had carefully pinned and displayed each medal on black velvet. Then she had made one of her beautiful wooden frames painting it a dull gold and antiquing it with crackle paint. The way she had designed it made it possible to add medals and over the years it became hard to see the velvet background as the awards piled up. Cups were displayed with pride on the sideboard in the hallway downstairs.